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{Telling a tale of grace, love, life & faith}

Monthly Archives: March 2013

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while now, but life has gotten in the way. Doesn’t it always? So, at last, here it is…

Shakeology vs Body by Vi!

I made both shakes for myself and my family. Chocolate peanut butter banana! I added the shake mix, fat-free milk, a banana, PB2 and ice. However, since the Vi shake isn’t chocolate flavored, I had to add chocolate syrup. I wasn’t a huge fan of having to do that… why would I want to add extra sugar and empty calories to my healthy, meal replacement shake?

The results? Out of 4 testers (myself included), the Shakeology was picked by 3 out of the 4 tasters! The one who picked the Vi shake thought it tasted better. But it makes me wonder… was that because of the added sugar?

So… what are the actual facts about these two shakes?

Admittedly, and not ashamedly, I am a Coach (distributor) for Beachbody and Shakeology. I became involved with this particular company, over other ones I was looking at, because they truly are looking at the best ways for you to become healthy. Beachbody is continually working on new programs and supplements to help you on your health and fitness journey. Plus they keep looking at ways to make their current products better and healthier. How awesome is that?!

Beachbody does not sell you some gimmick just to bank a truckload full of cash. They truly want to help you change in the healthiest version of you possible!

Shakeology is a nutrient packed shake of over 70 whole food derivatives. “Whole food derivatives” aren’t just a bunch of added vitamin and minerals. Whole food derivatives are nutrients that come from whole foods which our bodies can easily absorb and use. The ingredients in Shakeology are the very best available and come from all over the world; the best crops with the highest nutrients are found and used with nothing artificial added. You won’t be ingesting exotic synthetic extracts or isolates in Shakeology. Beachbody also works with the farms around the world to ensure that the farms are sustainable. They are not looking to strip the fields of material and move on.

When I was first looking into Shakeology, I was skeptical. It seemed pricey, and the information seemed too good to be true. I HATE my veggies — I know… how can I be a health & fitness coach if I hate veggies? When I saw that I could get all the nutritional benefits of veggies from drinking a chocolate shake I thought… JACKPOT! But, is this too good to be true? So, I bought a bag, and started drinking my shake daily. Within a week, my energy was better. By the end of the first bag, I had better control over my appetite, I was sleeping better and I had lost some weight.

After 30 days, I had fallen in love with the product. Shakeology has about 160 calories (nutrient dense & packed calories) per serving, 1 g fat and 17 grams of protein. No artificial flavoring or sweeteners either! If you’re curious about the ingredients in Shakeology, click here.

From the Visalus website: “The shake can help you lose, or maintain weight depending on how you use it. To lose weight, we recommend using it in place of 2 meals per day, along with sensible snacks (like the ViSalus Nutra-Cookie™), and a meal. You can use it for any 2 meals. To maintain weight, we recommend that you have 1 shake per day, and ideally for breakfast. ”

Two shakes, snacks (which you purchase from them) and a meal. This works out to approx. 700 calories per day. This is far too low for long term success with weight loss and your health in general. Will you lose weight? Yes, initially! But your body will go into starvation mode, causing it to hang on to anything you put into it. You need a minimum of 1200 calories a day! Period.

Also, Visalus tells people that their shake taste just like cake! I’m sure thats a great selling point, BUT… you gotta think, what have they added – chemicals, ect – to make it taste that way?

What about the cost difference? This is a big objection I hear a lot in regards to Shakeology… its too expensive. Here’s the breakdown:

Body by Vi: Recommends 2 shakes a day for weight loss

$3 per day wholesale ($1.50/shake) or about $4 retail per day ($1.85/shake)

Shakeology: Recommends 1 shake a day

$4 per day wholesale or $5 per day retail

Not a huge price difference! Shakeology has four different flavors: Chocolate, Greenberry, Tropical Strawberry (vegan) and Chocolate (vegan).

Here is a chart that outlines and compares Shakeology & other meal replacement/protein shakes:

When it comes to meal replacement shakes, it really comes down to what you’re looking for. If you want something to give you a nutritional boost and fill your belly for a while, Body by Vi would do the trick and you’d have lots of “artificial” flavors to choose from. If you truly want natural nutrition, something that will satisfy and stave off cravings because your body is getting the nutrients it needs, you might be willing to pay the extra dollar and get Shakeology.

I hope this post has been helpful! And if you’d like to try a sample of Shakeology, let me know! 🙂

My poor little family has been put thru the ringer this month! I don’t think February liked us all that much. Before I dive into the main focus of this blog post, let me give a quick update on the fambam and life in general 🙂

Both Joe and Oliver came down with a nasty virus. Both of them had rashes, but other than that their symptoms differed. Joe’s symptoms mimicked shingles. However a blood test came back negative for that. He just had a rash on his head, and a horrid headache. It took him down for the count for over a week! Oliver also had the same rash. We originally thought chicken pox, but his pediatrician said that it was just a highly infectious virus. Apparently its been making the rounds up here. This virus hit him hard though… fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fussiness, ect. The pediatrician said he was 100% positive that Joe and Oliver had the same thing. Joe is now on the mend. Still has that rash, but the headache is gone… yay! Oliver hasn’t run a fever in almost 2 days now. He’s still spitting up a ton, but its dying down a bit. The boys being sick took up a huge chunk of the month.

And wouldn’t you know it? Just two days before the month ends, its my turn to add to the fun!

In July of 2011, I discovered that I’m allergic to bees. I was 27 years old, and can you believe it, I’d never been stung by a bee before that day. Joe and I were dating, and I had the day off of work. So, he took me to the park. We were running around barefoot, throwing the frisbee and having a great time. All of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain in my foot and I immediately collapsed. I looked at my foot and there was something hard and fuzzy sticking out. Naturally, I removed it. As I did I noticed my foot was swelling up, and quickly. It took Joe maybe 10 seconds to reach me and by the time he got there, my foot was red and swollen. He told me it was likely a bee sting and asked if I was allergic. I didn’t know, I’d never been stung before. So we headed back to the car since I was useless to play anymore. On the way back, my chest started getting tight. Then my throat started feeling funny. After trying to remedy myself on my own, I let him take me to the ER. There I discovered that, yes, I am allergic to bees. And I go into anaphylaxis. I was given a prescription for EpiPens after I was stabilized, and was told if I were to get stung by a bee again, to give myself the shot and call 911.

Thankfully, I haven’t been stung again — praise Jesus! — but earlier this week, I found myself in anaphylactic shock. It was a normal night. We ate dinner. It was ham and potatoes, with biscuits. I ate my food, and decided at the last minute to have a biscuit with some honey. After the first half of the biscuit, I felt funny. The honey didn’t taste right either. I thought maybe my taster was off, so I took another bite. Big mistake. I immediately felt sick to my stomach. I sat at the table, holding Oli and tried to will the nausea to pass. About 3 minutes after my last bite, I felt the all too familiar feeling in my throat. And then seconds later, my chest started getting tight. I stayed calm, and asked Joe if I could have a reaction from honey. He didn’t know, so I googled it. I discovered that bee pollen, parts of bees and bee venom can all be found in honey. Its rare, but it can and does happen. I started feeling worse, so I passed the baby to Joe and ran for the benadryl. In hindsight, I really should’ve used the EpiPen, but I honestly thought I could control it with benadryl and a breathing treatment. Joe set up my nebulizer and I started a treatment. Not half way thru did I realize that it wasn’t helping. We made the decision to go to the ER. By the time I got in there about 20 minutes had passed. I could barely talk, and breathing was difficult — so difficult in fact that it felt like I was breathing thru a coffee stirrer. My breathing was also very, VERY shallow. Of course we had to wait in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. In all actuality, it was maybe 5 minutes. They came and got me, and triaged me in less than a minute. I was put into a room and four nurses and the doctor all came in. I was immediately given a dose of epinephrine, IV benadryl & steroids, a breathing treatment and a bag of fluids. Halfway thru the breathing treatment, I started having a really difficult time swallowing my saliva. That meant round two of epinephrine. Followed by a second breathing treatment. After those, I finally started responding. It was not a fun ordeal…

Anaphylaxis is a scary, and very real thing. I used to feel sorry for those it happened to, thinking it wouldn’t happen to me. I was wrong! I now have two allergens I have to be on the lookout for: bees & honey. The ER doc said that because of my asthma, it’ll always be worse for me too.

For those who don’t have any experience first hand with anaphylaxis, here are things to watch for in yourselves and your loved ones:

– A funny feeling in the throat. That’s how I always describe it. For me, it typically means that my throat is starting to swell.

– Shortness of breath/chest tightness

– Nausea

– Skin reaction: hives, rash, flush, pale

– Dizziness

– Difficulty speaking

If you suspect anaphylaxis, seek emergency medical treatment ASAP! And don’t be afraid (like me…) to use your EpiPen!

Always carry benadryl and your EpiPen with you as well. It seems that anaphylactic attacks don’t happen when you’d like them too 😉 And make sure that those closest to you are aware of what will trigger an attack, and that they know what to do if you start displaying symptoms of anaphylaxis.

Its a scary thing, but its good to be fully prepared – and calm – in the event of an attack.